asked the Minister for Social Welfare if approval will be given to the application for a fuel voucher by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24 having regard to the difficult financial circumstances of the person and the fact that she has two children still at school; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
113.
One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of a fuel allowance is that a person must be living either entirely alone or only with a person or persons who come within certain excepted categories.
A fuel allowance was refused in the case of the person concerned because a son, who resides with her, is employed and does not, therefore, come within the excepted categories for the purpose of the living-alone condition of the scheme. Her application was refused on 28 October 1988 and she was notified accordingly.
114.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow who is an old age pensioner and is widowed was for the first time refused a free fuel voucher when she went to collect it; if there has been any change in the eligibility conditions; if so, the nature of the changes; the number of people affected; and the pension categories which are affected.
The standardisation of the national fuel scheme, which was initiated last year, is now completed. As a result, the urban fuel schemes have ceased and the uniform eligibility criteria of the national fuel scheme will apply throughout the country for the first time. This standardisation was subject to the proviso that existing entitlements be preserved. In addition, all beneficiaries will from now on have their entitlement to fuel allowances paid in the same way as their qualifying payments. Thus, the Department's headquarters will arrange for the issue of payment books to qualified pensioners, the Department's local offices will deal with the long-term unemployed and the health boards will deal with beneficiaries under schemes which they administer, namely, supplementary welfare allowance, disabled person's maintenance allowance and infectious diseases maintenance allowance.
The person concerned was not included on the list from the health board of persons whose entitlement to the fuel allowance was preserved, because she was not a recipient under the 1987-88 national fuel scheme. She was in fact assisted with her heating needs last year under the exceptional needs provisions of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. My Department has now forwarded a copy of the relevant application form for a fuel allowance under the national fuel scheme, together with the relevant information leaflet, to her. Her entitlement to a fuel allowance will be assessed on receipt of the completed application form. In the event of her application not being successful, it will be open to her to re-apply to her health board for an exceptional needs payment.
The number of people who received the fuel allowance in the 1987-88 season was approximately 202,000. While it is too early yet to be fully definitive on the question, the indications at present are that there will not be any major change in 1988-89.
115.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is in a position to finalise the case of a person (details supplied) in County Galway who is an applicant for unemployment assistance.
The person concerned applied for unemployment assistance on 27 September 1988. Following investigation, his claim was disallowed on the grounds that his means, derived from a pension and his wife's earnings, exceeded the statutory limit for receipt of unemployment assistance in his case.
If he is dissatisfied with the amount of means assessed it is open to him to appeal the decision and have his case determined by an appeals officer. A form for this purpose may be obtained at his local employment office.
116.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an application made under the scheme of grants to voluntary bodies by an association (details supplied) in County Mayo has not been approved.
An amount of £750,000 was allocated this year for the scheme of grants to voluntary bodies in the social services area. Over 600 applications were received from organisations throughout the country and it was only possible to provide grants in a limited number of cases. It was not possible to provide a grant to the association in question.
117.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the appeal against disallowance of disability benefit in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Louth will be heard.
The person concerned was found capable of work on two different occasions following medical referee examinations. She has now been issued with a form on which to set out the grounds for appeal if she wishes to have her case referred to an appeals officer for determination.
118.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth.
The person concerned was considered to be capable of work on two different occasions following medical referee examinations and so is not entitled to payment of disability benefit. She was issued with a form on which to set out the grounds for appeal if she wishes to have her case referred to an appeals officer for determination.
The return of this form is awaited.
119.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if disability benefit will be restored to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 who has sent in strong medical evidence in support of her appeal and who has to have a throat operation imminently.
The appeal of the person concerned has now been allowed by the appeals officer and payment of disability benefit is being restored.
120.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider reviewing the position of dependent's allowance payments for children who are over 18 years old and still at secondary level education, in view of their dependency for those families.
At present, increases in social welfare payments are generally payable in respect of child dependants up to the age of 18 years. However, special arrangements apply in the case of widows, deserted wives, prisoners' wives and unmarried mothers, who are receiving a social welfare pension or allowance. In such cases increases are awarded in respect of children up to the age of 21 years provided that they are in full-time education at either second or third level. This extension of the age limit was introduced in recognition of the special needs of widows and other one-parent families.
The question of extending generally the age limit for child dependant allowances would have cost implications and is a matter that would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
121.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a rebate in respect of disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and when payment of same will be made.
The person concerned made a claim for disability benefit on 25 January 1988. The position is that he has insufficient contributions on his Irish record to qualify for payment of disability benefit. However, he has indicated that he was insurably employed in Britain and the Department of Health and Social Security has been requested to furnish details of his insurance record. When this information is received, his entitlement to disability benefit will be considered.
122.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Waterford has been refused a free fuel allowance as he has not been in full-time employment for a number of years.
Unemployed applicants, other than pensioners for the weekly fuel allowance paid under the national fuel scheme must be in receipt of the long-term rate of unemployment assistance and (a) live entirely alone or (b) reside only with a qualified adult dependant or child dependant.
Persons in receipt of unemployment benefit are not entitled to receive a fuel allowance.
The person concerned is in receipt of unemployment benefit and therefore does not satisfy the conditions for receipt of a fuel allowance.
123.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Waterford who is on unemployment assistance has been refused the free fuel allowance because his daughter has reached the age of 18 years but is still in school; and if he will reverse this decision.
Persons in receipt of the long-term rate of unemployment assistance are entitled to a weekly fuel allowance under the national fuel scheme provided that they (a) live entirely alone or (b) reside only with a qualified adult dependant or child dependant. A child over 18 years of age, whether or not at school, is not a child dependant for this purpose. No fuel allowance is payable where any person other than a qualified dependant is residing with the claimant.
The person concerned is in receipt of long-term unemployment assistance. However, as his eldest child residing in the household, is over 18 years of age, he does not fulfil the conditions of entitlement to a fuel allowance under the national fuel scheme.
124.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the imminent closure of the post office at Clonfanlaugh, Athlone, the fourth post office in County Laois and County Offaly to close within ten months; if alternative arrangements are being made for recipients of social welfare payments in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The post office at Clonfanlaugh, Athlone, was closed with effect from 22 September 1988. The Department of Social Welfare has written to all pensioners and recipients of other social welfare payments who had been receiving their payments at that post office, asking them to nominate an alternative post office for receipt of payment. Virtually all of the persons involved nominated Ballinahown post office, which is the nearest post office to Clonfanlaugh. Arrangements were accordingly made to have these payments transferred to the Ballinahown post office. Replies are still outstanding from a small number of persons.
125.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 26 October 1988. Benefit was not put into payment pending referral to a medical referee as she had previously been found capable of work while suffering from a similar incapacity and her earlier claim had been disallowed on appeal last July.
She will be notified shortly of the date and place of the examination and her entitlement to further payment of disability benefit will be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report following this examination.
126.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether any progress has been made in providing a scheme under which persons who are unemployed and drawing unemployment benefit could enrol for a full time course to do the leaving certificate, in order to advance their career prospects.
The educational opportunities scheme which has been operating on a pilot basis in Tallaght, County Dublin, and in Limerick City gives unemployed persons over 23 years of age who have been in receipt of unemployment payments for 12 months or more the opportunity to attend a certificate course (including leaving certificate) at their local VEC. While attending the course, participants receive an allowance equivalent to their unemployment payments.
The scheme is continuing in the two pilot locations for the current academic year and, as I announced recently, it is to be extended to other locations throughout the country. The details of the new locations for the scheme are being worked out in consultation with the Department of Education.
127.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider removing the anomaly whereby a widow does not qualify for treatment benefit once the currency of her husband's contributions expires, in view of the fact that this is entirely different treatment to that given to an old age pensioner who will retain entitlement to treatment benefit for the rest of his or her life and in view of the fact that a widow is not entitled to make current contributions to retain eligibility for treatment benefit even if she is working.
Coverage for treatment benefits was extended to dependent spouses of insured persons with effect from October 1987. Under this provision a dependent spouse qualifies for the full range of benefits under the scheme for as long as the contribution conditions are satisfied on the insurance record of the working spouse.
Where a dependent spouse is widowed she retains entitlement to treatment benefit for as long as the contribution conditions continue to be fulfilled on the deceased spouse's insurance record. Where a qualified insured person with a dependent spouse dies after pension age his widow would continue to be entitled for the rest of her life.
The extension of a lifetime entitlement to treatment benefit to widows in all cases would have considerable cost implications for the scheme.
A working widow in respect of whom PRSI contributions at the full rate are payable by her employer is covered for treatment benefit on her own insurance record.
128.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made in relation to an application for invalidity pension from a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned appears to satisfy the medical and contribution conditions for invalidity pension. It will be necessary for him to complete an application form, a copy of which has been forwarded to him.
129.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made in relation to an application for invalidity pension from a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 17 October 1988 after claiming and receiving occupational injury benefit from 18 April 1988 to 15 October 1988.
In order to qualify for payment of disability benefit a claimant must satisfy the following contribution conditions:
(a) have a minimum of 39 contributions paid at the appropriate PRSI class since entry into insurable employment, and
(b) have a minimum of 39 contributions paid or credited in the contribution year governing his claim.
According to the records of the Department the person concerned is insurably employed at PRSI Class D which is the rate appropriate to permanent and pensionable employees in the public service. While Class D contributions are reckonable for occupational injury benefit they do not provide cover for either disability benefit or invalidity pension. However, the person concerned may be eligible for disablement benefit under the occupational injury scheme and the Department will pursue this aspect of the case with him.
130.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made in relation to an application for invalidity pension from a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
Invalidity pension is payable to insured persons who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work.
Arrangements are currently being made to have the person concerned examined by a medical referee of the Department. His entitlement to invalidity pension will be reviewed in the light of the report of this examination.
131.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 was refused free fuel vouchers even though this person was eligible for same last year and in previous years in similar circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The national fuel scheme applies to persons in receipt of long term social welfare or health board payments who are living alone or only with persons who come within certain categories.
Two members of the household of the person concerned are in receipt of unemployment assistance; therefore he does not qualify for fuel allowance under the national fuel scheme.
The allowance paid to the person concerned last year and in previous years was paid under the exceptional needs provisions of the supplementary welfare scheme and was not in fact a fuel allowance under the fuel scheme then in operation. It is open to him to reapply to his health board if he considers he is still in need.
132.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount of advertising undertaken by his Department in the press, radio and television during 1988 to outline people's entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance.
The Department's information policy in relation to existing schemes relies primarily on the extensive use of information leaflets, booklets and posters which are widely available in all social welfare offices throughout the country and from a number of other sources such as community information centres. A detailed leaflet on the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SW54) forms part of the Department's range of leaflets and it is available from the sources mentioned.
In line with my policy of upgrading and simplifying information booklets and leaflets I recently (30 September 1988) launched a new leaflet which summarises in a convenient pocket guide, when, where and how to claim social welfare payments including supplementary welfare allowance. This new leaflet was widely advertised by my Department in the media. I have forwarded copies of both leaflets to the Deputy for his information.
Our research indicates that most people prefer one-to-one personal contact when they want to help in social welfare matters. It is for this reason that information officers are now being located in many of our social welfare offices.
The use of press, radio and television in the information process is mainly to advertise major changes in schemes or the addition of new schemes such as the recent extension of PRSI to the self-employed. The information needs and requirements of the public are subject to continual review and reassessment and the methods of disseminating information are revised as resources permit.
133.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who is in receipt of long term unemployment assistance is entitled to a free fuel allowance.
Persons in receipt of the long term rate of unemployment assistance are entitled to a weekly fuel allowance under the national fuel scheme provided that they (a) live entirely alone or (b) reside only with a qualified dependant in respect of whom an adult or child dependant allowance is payable. No fuel allowance is payable where any person other than qualified dependants are residing with the claimant.
As the person concerned is residing with a person who is not a qualified dependant he is not entitled to a receive a fuel allowance.